


Night Shift

by sungies



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Cafe AU, M/M, lowkey College AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-13 19:35:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14754969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sungies/pseuds/sungies
Summary: Jaemin has always enjoyed closing up the coffee shop after finishing his late shifts. It brings him a warm, calm feeling.He enjoys sweeping the floors as he listens to the rhythmic chirps of the cicadas outside. He also enjoys wiping down the counters and tabletops as he listens to the cars drive through the peaceful night. Sometimes, he’ll lean on the counter, close his eyes, and take in all of the sounds that the night brings.There’s one aspect of closing the shop that doesn’t bring him that warm, calm feeling. Instead, it makes his heart flutter. This aspect is the boy that makes repetitive, almost periodic, visits to the coffee shop. Though Jaemin doesn’t know this boy’s name, he knows he’s nice . . . and cute. Jaemin looks forward to his evening visits.Jaemin has always enjoyed closing up the coffee shop after finishing his late shifts. It brings him a warm, calm feeling. Sometimes, it even makes his heart flutter.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> one day i thought about how cute jaemin would be as a barista and this was born!!

Jaemin has always enjoyed closing up the coffee shop after finishing his late shifts. It brings him a warm, calm feeling.

He enjoys sweeping the floors as he listens to the rhythmic chirps of the cicadas outside. He also enjoys wiping down the counters and tabletops as he listens to the cars drive through the peaceful night. Sometimes, he’ll lean on the counter, close his eyes, and take in all of the sounds that the night brings.

There’s one aspect of closing the shop that doesn’t bring him that warm, calm feeling. Instead, it makes his heart flutter. This aspect is the boy that makes repetitive, almost periodic, visits to the coffee shop. Though Jaemin doesn’t know this boy’s name, he knows he’s nice . . . and cute. Jaemin looks forward to his evening visits.

Jaemin has always enjoyed closing up the coffee shop after finishing his late shifts. It brings him a warm, calm feeling. Sometimes, it even makes his heart flutter.

\---

Jaemin sighs.

Doyoung eyes Jaemin from the storage room. “Oh? What’s wrong?” he asks.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I’m taking my last exam tomorrow. I’m just stressed,” Jaemin replies.

“If you ever need to work a later shift you can always tell me,” Doyoung offers.

Jaemin nods, “Yeah, I know.”

Doyoung furrows his brows, “Jaemin . . . I hope you’re not overworking yourself,” he says, his voice laced with caution.

Jaemin looks down at his fiddling hands, “I’m not. Everything is okay. Don’t worry!”

He was lying.

“Okay. Well, I was going to ask if you’d want to work an extra shift tonight, but I’ll ask Renjun instead,” Doyoung says.

“No, I’d be up for it,” Jaemin replies, “I find night shifts calming, actually.”

Doyoung looks at Jaemin, “Jaemin--”

Jaemin interrupts him, “I’ll be fine. I swear. Besides, I need a break from all of the stress.”

Doyoung purses his lips, “Okay. If anything happens, call me.”

Jaemin grins, “I’ll be in a coffee shop all night. I doubt any danger will come my way.”

Doyoung nods. Jaemin could tell he wasn’t totally convinced that Jaemin would survive the night shift.

“Customers should be arriving soon. Can you take the first few orders by yourself while I finish this?” Doyoung asks.

“Sure! But, where’s Renjun?” Jaemin wonders aloud.

“He had his final exam today, so he’ll be in after the morning rush,” Doyoung says from somewhere in the storage room.

Jaemin nods even though Doyoung can’t see him.

The bell attached to the shop’s door chimes. The morning rush had officially begun.

 

“Did you know my professor is super annoying? He moved the exam to tomorrow, which I would’ve had no problem with if he didn’t send the email out twenty minutes before the exam!” Donghyuk says.

“Yes, we did know your professor is super annoying. You complain about him almost every day,” Mark comments.

Mark and Donghyuk came in around twelve, which is when the coffee shop is least busy. Donghyuk was complaining about his professor to Mark, as usual.

“Why don’t you just drop out of his class? It’s not like you need it for your degree anyway,” Renjun says as he wiped down tables.

“No, this is the class I hate but need. You’re thinking of Professor Kim’s class. Which, I plan to stop taking that one,” Donghyuk corrects Renjun.

“Oh, so you will drop out of that class? It’s about time,” Doyoung says.

Doyoung frowns, “And what does that mean?”

Doyoung glances at Donghyuk, “You always complain about that class. You should’ve just dropped out a few months ago.”

“Are you saying I’m annoying?” Donghyuk questions.

“Well, I’m not denying it,” Doyoung shrugs.

Renjun and Mark chuckle at the two boys. Doyoung and Donghyuk would always bicker over dumb or useless things. It was always playful, though. They’ve never had a real argument before.

Mark puts his hand on the small of Donghyuk’s back, “Hey, Hyuk, we should get going. You have to study for your last exam tomorrow,” he says.

Donghyuk groans, “I can’t believe I could’ve taken that test today! It could all be done with! But, as usual, my professor had to--”

Mark cut him off, “He had to be annoying. Yes, we know. Come on, let’s get going. We can study at the park this afternoon.”

Donghyuk’s eyes light up and a grin gleams upon his face, “Really? Can we get ice cream, too?” He asks.

Mark grins, “Yeah, of course.”

Jaemin and Renjun look at each other. They give each other the ‘how-has-Donghyuk-not-realised-Mark-likes-him’ look.

Mark and Donghyuk grab their coffees and share their goodbyes before taking off towards the park.

When they were fully out of sight, Doyoung speaks, “Mark always looks so happy to be with Donghyuk.”

“Donghyuk is so oblivious. How has he not noticed yet?” Jaemin adds.

Renjun sighed, “He’ll get there someday. Just give it time.”

 

“Bye Renjun! I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jaemin says with a smile.

“See you tomorrow!” Renjun says, waving goodbye as he walks out the door.

Doyoung walks up to Jaemin, his apron still tied around his waist.

“Are you sure you’re still up for this night shift, Jaemin?” Doyoung asks. He always worries about Jaemin’s health.

“Yeah, I’m good. You’ve taken the night shifts for the past week. I’ve missed it,” Jaemin replies.

Doyoung looks at Jaemin for a few seconds before speaking, “Okay. You know the drill; don’t leave without locking the register and close the blinds.”

Jaemin gave Doyoung a thumbs up accompanied with a grin.

Doyoung unties his apron and grabs his keys.

“Jeno should’ve been here by now . . .” He mutters to himself.

“Who?” Jaemin asks.

“The guy that comes in here all the time. He normally comes during the night shift and stays until we close,” Doyoung says as he walks towards the back door.

Jaemin’s heart skips a beat, “Oh! Uhm, that’s his name?” He stutters.

Doyoung raises an eyebrow, “Yes? I thought you knew. Did you not? He’s been coming for a while now.”

“Ah, well, I’ve never taken his order. I’ve never even really talked to him either.” Jaemin says.

Doyoung smirks, “You should. He’s nice.”

Jaemin blushes.

Doyoung’s smirk was still on his face when he left. Jaemin imagines that smirk to still be on his face even as he drove away from the coffee shop.

Jaemin sighs. He was finally alone. He could close his eyes and soak in that warm, calm feeling.

The bell that signals a customer’s entry chimes.

Jaemin lost that warm, calm feeling in an instant.

However, when he looks up to see who had walked in, his heart stops.

The regular, who Jaemin had just learned was named Jeno, finally arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll be posting a chapter every monday and friday!! enjoy this chapter <3

Jaemin thought his heart was going to pound its way out of his chest.

He had never taken Jeno’s order before, and he didn’t think today would be the day he would. As Jeno kept walking closer to the counter, Jaemin panicked. He was scared of messing up. Would he stutter? Would he make the order wrong?

Jeno was now standing directly in front of Jaemin.

Jaemin took a breath before speaking, “Welcome! What can I get for you tonight?”

That went better than Jaemin was expecting it to.

“I’ll have an iced Americano and,” Jeno looks at the display case that the pastries sat in, “a blueberry scone!” He smiles brightly at Jaemin.

Jaemin was sure that his heart had stopped entirely. His smile is beautiful.

“S-sure! It’s coming right up!” Jaemin stammers. He turns around quickly and curses at himself. Why did he have to stutter? Jeno probably thinks he’s an idiot now.

However, Jaemin was wrong. As Jeno watches Jaemin sulk towards the coffee maker, he thinks about how cute the embarrassed barista is.

When Jaemin was first hired, Jeno didn’t make nightly visits to the coffee shop. He would show up once or twice every week, but never more than that. However, when he first saw Jaemin, that changed. He started going to the shop three times a week, then five times a week, and soon enough he was showing up every day.

He started showing up every day because he wanted to have a conversation with Jaemin, but Doyoung was always taking his order. Jaemin would bring him his drink, but Jeno would only thank him and then their short conversation would be over.

Jeno has planned to change that. And today was the best day to do so.

 

As Jaemin prepared Jeno’s drink, all he could think about was Jeno’s smile. He wants to see that smile every day. Actually, he wants to see Jeno’s whole face every day.

Jaemin stirs Jeno’s drink one final time before putting it on a tray next to his scone. He grabs the tray with a tight grip, as he didn’t want to make an even bigger fool of himself than he already has. Spilling a drink on Jeno would send Jaemin to his grave.

“Here’s the iced Americano and blueberry scone you ordered!” Jaemin says as he set the drink and scone down on the table.

Jeno grins up at him, “Thank you.”

Jaemin blushes and sends a small grin in response.

“Would like to sit with me?” Jeno asks before Jaemin could walk away.

Jaemin freezes. His eyes were slightly wider than before.

Jeno continues, “I know the baristas that work here pretty well, but I’ve never talked to you before.”

Jaemin blinks a few times before realizing he hasn’t replied to Jeno’s request, “Ah! Yes, of course,” Jaemin stammers, once again, as he sits down across from Jeno.

Jaemin is nervous. He is  _so_ nervous. 

Jeno sips his coffee, “So, are you a student?” He asks.

Jaemin nods, “I go to the Seoul Institute of the Arts. What about you?” Jaemin congratulates himself mentally for not stuttering.

“Oh, really? I go there too! What’s your major?” Jeno asks.

Jaemin was shocked because Jeno seemed to show interest in him. He thought Jeno would find him boring or obnoxious.

“Fine arts. What’s yours?”

“Photography. How are your finals going? I took my last one today,” Jeno says.

“I take my last one tomorrow. My week has been super stressful, and I assume yours has been too,” Jaemin replies.

“Yeah, it has. But coming in here every night has made it easier to handle,” Jeno says with a grin. He was trying to flirt, but he doesn’t think Jaemin noticed.

“Yeah, this place gets calm during night shifts. It’s kind of lonely to walk home alone, though,” Jaemin states as he looks out the window.

“I can help you with that,” Jeno offers.

Jaemin’s heart starts racing. He couldn’t believe what Jeno had just said. “Uhm, well, I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you . . .” Jaemin mutters.

“You wouldn’t be an inconvenience at all! I’d like the company,” says Jeno.

Jaemin ponders on whether to accept his offer or not.

“I-if you’d like for me to walk with you . . . then I guess I will,” Jaemin stutters.

Jeno smiles brightly, “Cool! I’ll wait for you while you finish closing up the shop.”

Jaemin nods and gets up from his seat. He grabs Jeno’s empty glass and the plate the scone once sat on. He looks at Jeno and grins awkwardly before leaving to wash the two dishes.

When Jaemin left, Jeno thought about what had just happened. He couldn’t believe he offered to walk Jaemin home. Was he really that smooth? Has he always been that smooth? If not, when did he become that smooth?

He bounces his leg nervously while he waits for Jaemin to finish closing the shop. Though it seems creepy, Jeno knows Jaemin’s close-the-coffee-shop routine. He washes the dishes that Jeno used previously, he closes the curtains, he locks the register, he tells Jeno they’ve officially closed, he waits for Jeno to leave, and then he leaves.

This time, the steps have changed. The first three are the same, but instead of telling Jeno they’ve closed and he needs to leave, he walks up to Jeno and says, “Okay, I’m done. We can head out now.”

Jaemin follows that statement with a blush. Jeno has noticed that Jaemin blushes a lot.

Jeno stands from his seat and grabs his jacket off of the back of the chair, “Alright, let’s go!”

 

The walk home is awkward. Jeno didn’t think about this possibility beforehand. They’ve had one conversation in total, and they were already walking home together.

“It’s kind of cold tonight,” Jaemin says shakily. 

Jeno looks at him to see why his voice is so unstable. Jeno automatically feels bad when he discovers the reason why; Jaemin isn’t wearing a jacket.

“Jaemin! Where’s your jacket? Did you leave it at the shop? Should we go back?” Jeno worries.

“No, I just forgot to check what tonight’s weather would be like. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry,” Jaemin says. He doesn’t want to inconvenience Jeno since he felt like he already is.

“Jaemin . . . you’re shivering,” Jeno says with a frown on his face.

After some consideration, Jeno stops walking. Jaemin stops as well to see what was happening.

“Is this your stop--”

But Jaemin couldn’t finish his sentence, because Jeno had put his jacket around Jaemin’s shoulders.

“Before you say anything, I’ll be fine. I live right up here anyway,” Jeno states as he points in front of himself.

“I feel bad for taking your jacket though-- wait. Where did you say you live?” Jaemin questions.

Jeno raises an eyebrow at him, “Right there,” he points ahead of himself again, “in that building.”

Jaemin’s eyes widen.

“Is something wrong?” Jeno asks. He was very confused.

“I live there too,” Jaemin mumbles.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about how late i'm uploading this!! enjoy this chapter! :)

“He offered to walk home with you?” Donghyuk yells out of shock. 

People look towards the group of boys to see what the commotion is about. 

“Don’t yell!” Doyoung hisses. 

“Sorry . . . but am I hearing things or did you  _ actually  _ just say he offered to walk you home?” Donghyuk asks. 

“Yes! I was just as shocked as you!” Jaemin confirms. 

“Well, did you walk home with him?” Mark asks. 

Suddenly, all of the boys were staring at Jaemin, awaiting his response. Jaemin looks down as he feels his face start to burn up. 

“Oh my god.  _ Oh  _ my god. You totally walked home with him!” Renjun exclaims.

The boys become rowdy and start to bombard Jaemin with questions. 

“Did you hold hands?” asks Donghyuk. 

“No.” replies Jaemin. 

“Did you kiss?” Donghyuk asks. 

“What-- no. We had our first conversation yesterday.” Jaemin replies. 

“Wait,” Mark began, “It was pretty cold last night . . . and you told us you forgot to check the weather yesterday,” as he came to a realization, his words faded out. 

“Oh my god!” Donghyuk yells, “He gave you his jacket!” 

Doyoung didn’t shush Donghyuk this time. 

“Jaemin, did he? Did he really give you his jacket?” Renjun questions. 

“Y-yes . . .” Jaemin mumbles. His face felt even warmer than before. 

Donghyuk looks like he wants to yell, “Holy shit. Jaemin has a man!” 

“Shut up!” Jaemin slaps Donghyuk’s hand with the rag he’s holding, “He’s not my ‘man.’”

“Not yet,” Doyoung mutters under his breath. 

Jaemin threatens to hit him with the rag. 

“So, what happened during your little walk?” Donghyuk teasingly asks. 

Jaemin rolls his eyes, “Nothing. Well, something happened.” 

All four boys raise their eyebrows at Jaemin. 

“I forgot to return his jacket,” Jaemin says. 

“That’s it?” Donghyuk asks, “I was expecting more.” 

“Well, I also found out he lives in the same apartments as me,” Jaemin says, pursing his lips afterward. 

The four boys gasp in unison. 

“Don’t get ahead of yourselves. You know how my apartment has two buildings? He lives in the other one, not mine. We’ll basically never see each other,” Jaemin explains. 

Their faces drop slightly. 

“I can’t believe Jaemin will be the first person to get a man out of all of us.” Donghyuk foretells. 

Jaemin eyes Mark as Doyoung and Renjun giggle at Donghyuk’s prediction. 

As Jaemin moves towards the coffee maker to prepare another order, Mark follows him from behind the counter. 

“So, when are you going to make your move on Jeno?” Mark asks as he leans on the counter. 

“I could ask you the same thing.” Jaemin drones. 

Mark starts fiddling with his hands, “Uhm-- well, I-I asked you first so . . .” He stammers. 

“Okay, well, not anytime soon. We just met. I don’t even know if I like him like that,” Jaemin says. 

Mark nods, “You definitely like him.” 

“Sh-shut up!” Jaemin mumbles. 

Mark chuckles. 

It was silent for a moment, “But, seriously. When are you going to ask Donghyuk out? It’s got to be soon, right?” Jaemin asks. 

Mark gazes down at his fiddling hands. 

“Mark. Look at me,” Jaemin demands. 

It took a few seconds to overcome his nerves, but Mark finally met Jaemin’s eyes. 

“You know he’s oblivious. You of all people should know. You should also know that he probably won’t notice anytime soon. You’ve been crushing on him for years, Mark. It’s time that you change the status of crush to something bigger,” Jaemin stresses. 

Mark purses his lips and nods, “You’re right. I know you’re right. I just can’t build up the courage . . . what if he rejects me? I’d feel like a fool,” Mark says. 

Jaemin can tell how hard this is on Mark. He gets nervous by just talking about it. Jaemin feels bad for Mark. 

“Hey,” Jaemin puts a hand on Mark’s shoulder, “Donghyuk loves hanging out with you. I’ve never seen him get as happy around someone as he is around you,” Jaemin states. 

A small grin forms on Mark’s face, “Really?” He asks for confirmation. 

“Really,” Jaemin assures him. 

 

“So, how’d the last final go?” Doyoung asks Jaemin as they wipe down tables. 

“Pretty well. I’m confident in my scores on this one,” Jaemin responds. 

“That’s what you say every time you take a test of any form. And you’re always right,” Renjun comments. 

“He’s just that smart,” Doyoung says. 

Jaemin grins and shakes his head. 

“Alright, who’s taking the night shift?” Doyoung asks. 

Renjun and Doyoung both look at Jaemin. 

“Uhm, I guess I will--” Jaemin starts to say. 

“Okay, Jaemin’s taking the night shift. Let’s go, Renjun.” Doyoung says as he and Renjun quickly grab their things and walk out the back door. 

“They didn’t even say goodbye . . .” Jaemin mumbles as he continues to wipe down the counter. 

It was a few minutes before Jeno finally arrived. However, when he walked in, he noticed that Jaemin wasn’t behind the counter. Nobody was. 

Jeno looked around before spotting Jaemin in the corner of the shop. Jeno grins once he realizes what Jaemin is doing. 

He’s sitting at one of the tables, taking a nap. And, he’s using Jeno’s jacket as a pillow. 

Jeno slowly walks towards Jaemin. He makes sure to make his footsteps light as he doesn’t want to wake him abruptly. 

When he gets to the table Jaemin is napping on, he sits down beside him. 

“Hey,” Jeno shakes Jaemin’s shoulder softly, “Jaemin. Wake up.” 

Jaemin repositions himself in his sleep. 

Jeno shakes Jaemin’s shoulder a little less softly, “Jaemin!” He says at a slightly higher volume than before. 

Jaemin’s eyes slowly open and his head slowly rises, “Hm?” He rubs the sleep from his eyes. 

Jeno grins, “It’s me, Jeno. I’m here for my nightly visit,” He giggles. 

Suddenly Jaemin is fully awake. He quickly sits up. 

“Ah, I’m so sorry! That was very rude of me,” Jaemin apologizes. 

“Oh no, you’re fine. Don’t worry. I understand how tiring finals week can be,” Jeno says. 

Jaemin sighs, “I’m so happy I’ve finished all of them.” 

Jeno nods. He’s trying to work up the courage to ask Jaemin a question. 

“D-do you want to walk around the park with me?” Jeno asks. He isn’t looking at Jaemin. He’s too nervous to. 

Jaemin grins as a blush forms on his face, “Yeah, that’d be nice.” 

Jeno meets Jaemin’s eyes and smiles. 

Jaemin almost faints at the sight of that smile. 

“Before we leave, I could make you an iced Americano to go,” Jaemin suggests. 

“That’d be nice, but I have one request,” Jeno says. 

Jaemin focuses on Jeno, “What is it?”

“Could you show me how you make them?” Jeno asks. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is probably one of my favorite chapters so i hope those of you reading enjoy it!!

“Jaemin, you’re so good at this!” Jeno fascinates over Jaemin. 

“It’s actually pretty easy, but thanks,” Jaemin says with a smile as he stirs the drink. 

“Hm, I still think you look cool making it,” Jeno says. 

Jaemin blushes, “Don’t tease me.” 

“I mean it,” Jeno states firmly. 

Jaemin looks beside him at Jeno. They’re close. Very close. Close enough to . . .

Jaemin snaps out of the trance Jeno had put him into. 

Jaemin turns away from Jeno and coughs, “Uhm, l-let’s head to the park.” 

Jeno scratches the back of his neck awkwardly, “Yeah. Let’s, uhm, let’s go.” 

 

The walk to the park is awkward. The two boys don’t want to bring up what happened, or what almost happened, at the coffee shop. They’re both waiting for something to distract them from their thoughts. 

Jeno notices a gelato stand on the sidewalk, “Uhm, do you want to get gelato?” He asks. 

Jaemin turns his gaze towards the little stand, “Ah! That place just recently opened!” Jaemin gushes, “I’ve been wanting to go there for so long!” His pace quickens as he makes his way towards the stand; Jeno follows. 

“What flavor are you going to get?” Jeno asks once the two boys are close enough to the stand to the read the menu. 

Jaemin ponders his options, “I think I’ll go with green tea. What about you?” He asks. 

“Hm . . . I’ll get chocolate,” Jeno responds. 

“A cup of green tea and a cup of chocolate, please,” Jaemin says to the girl taking their order. 

“That will be 7500 won,” says the girl. 

Jaemin reaches into his pockets to grab his wallet, but instead, he feels its absence. 

“I left my wallet at home today . . .” Jaemin pouts. 

Jeno doesn’t like seeing Jaemin sad. 

“I’ll pay for it,” Jeno offers. 

Jaemin looks at Jeno with a bright smile on his face, but it quickly fades. 

“No, no. I’ll come another day. I wouldn’t want to burden you,” Jaemin says. 

“I’m sorry, what was that? I couldn’t hear you. Did you say that you’re okay with me paying for you?” Jeno teases. 

“No--” Jaemin begins, but Jeno is already handing the girl the money. 

The girl accepts the money then turns around to prepare their gelato. 

“I’ll pay you back tomorrow,” Jaemin says. 

“First of all, no you won’t. It’s only 7500 won. It’s not that much. And second of all, how do you know you’ll see me tomorrow?” Jeno asks with a smirk. 

“Uh, well, I guess I expect you to show up to the shop every night,” Jaemin says, his words fading towards the end. 

Jeno’s smirk grows bigger, “Oh really?” He teases. 

“Shut-shut up . . .” Jaemin stutters. 

Jeno chuckles. He thinks Jaemin is cute when he stutters. 

“Here you go,” The girl says as she gives the boys their gelato. 

“Thank you,” said the boys in unison. 

Jaemin leads Jeno to a bench under a large tree. The boys sit there and eat their gelato as they discuss random things. 

“Wow, the colors in the sunset are pretty,” Jaemin mentions as he watches the sunset. 

Jeno hums in agreement, but he isn’t looking at the sunset. 

He’s looking at Jaemin. 

He thinks Jaemin is much prettier than the sunset. 

 

“So, I have a photography project to complete over the summer,” Jeno says. 

The two boys are leisurely walking on the sidewalk. They’re heading towards their apartment building. 

“Oh, really? What is it?” Jaemin asks. 

“I have to find a person to use as a subject and capture pictures of them experiencing different emotions,” Jeno answers. 

Jaemin nods, but he’s internally wondering if Jeno is about to ask him to be his subject. 

“I still haven’t found a subject, though,” Jeno hints. 

Jaemin is now wondering if he was right about his previous thought. 

Jeno looks at his feet as they walk, “I was wondering if, maybe, you want to be my subject?” He nervously asks. 

Jaemin’s previous thought was correct. 

“Yeah, sure. That seems like it would be fun,” Jaemin decides. 

Jeno grins, “Cool, can we start tomorrow? I could come into the coffee shop early.” 

“I’d love to start it tomorrow,” says Jaemin. 

He actually wanted to tell Jeno he’d love to see him early. 

“Okay, great,” Jeno says happily. 

The two exchange phone numbers in order to keep in touch. 

Jaemin puts heart emojis next to Jeno’s name.

And Jeno does the same for Jaemin. 

\---

“Wait, Jeno’s coming in early today?” Doyoung asks. 

“Yeah. He has a photography project to complete this summer and he’s using me as his subject,” says Jaemin. He was trying to conceal how excited he was. 

“Does that mean I’ll be able to meet your man, Jaemin?” asks Donghyuk. 

“He’s not my man!” Jaemin argues, “And if you stay until he arrives, then yes; you’ll be able to meet him,” he finishes. 

“I’m staying, then. I want to see who will be dating our Jaemin,” Donghyuk says. 

Jaemin rolls his eyes, “I never said I would date him.” 

“But you want to date him, don’t you?” Renjun questions. 

Jaemin doesn’t answer. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Renjun decides. 

Jaemin sighs (because Renjun is right). 

“Hey, Jaemin,” Mark calls out, “Can I talk to you?” He asks. 

“Yeah, sure. What’s up?” Jaemin says. 

“Let’s talk over here,” Mark mumbles as he walks towards the other end of the counter. 

Jaemin follows. He thinks he knows what Mark wants to discuss. 

“Is this about Donghyuk?” Jaemin queries. 

Mark leans on the counter, “Uh, yeah. It is actually. I was thinking of telling him how I feel about him,” he says. 

Jaemin smiles, “Really? When?” He asks. 

“M-maybe today . . .” Mark mumbles. 

Jaemin gasps unintentionally and Donghyuk eyes him. 

“Sorry, uhm,” Jaemin lowers his voice, “how do you plan to confess?” He asks. 

Mark blushes slightly, “You know how much he loves the park, and he wanted to go to that new gelato stand that opened up,” he says with his voice low. 

Memories of last night flooded Jaemin’s mind at the mention of the gelato stand, but he regains his composure and listens to Mark. 

Mark starts playing with the frayed ends of a rag laying on the counter, “So, I thought we could walk around the park for a little bit, get gelato, and then I could confess,” he says. 

His blush grew while he was telling Jaemin his plan. 

“D-do you think that’s a dumb idea?” Mark stumbles over his words. 

Jaemin grins, “I think that’s a great idea,” he reassures him. 

Mark smiles. 

 

Donghyuk sighs, “When will this Jeno boy show up? We’ve been waiting forever,” he complained. 

“It’s been half an hour. Shut up,” Doyoung commented. 

Donghyuk sent a glare his way. 

“Did he tell you what time he plans to show up at?” Mark asks. 

Jaemin looks at the clock above the storage room door, “He said around 2:45.” 

Donghyuk also looks at the clock above the storage room door, “It’s 2:50,” he states. 

Jaemin stares at him, “Thanks. I can’t read so I would’ve never figured that out,” he drones. 

“I was just stating a fact! Everyone here is so mean to me!” Donghyuk exaggerates. 

Renjun walks over to the three boys, “Hey, Jeno’s here,” he whispers to Jaemin. 

Jaemin’s heart starts pounding, “I’ll take his order,” he tells Renjun. 

Jaemin makes his way towards the register. 

“Hey,” he awkwardly greets Jeno. 

“Hi,” Jeno says with a grin, “I’ll have the usual drink,” he orders. 

“Coming right up,” says Jaemin. 

Jeno sits at the counter to wait for his drink. He watches Jaemin as he makes it. 

Unknown to Jeno, Mark and Donghyuk are watching him. 

“So, that’s him? He has the looks, but does he have the personality?” Donghyuk wonders. 

“Hopefully he does-- wait. Do you think I have the looks?” Mark suddenly asks. 

Donghyuk turns to look at him with a confused look on his face, “Uh, duh. You’re the second best looking guy in our friend group,” he says in a that-should-have-been-obvious tone. 

Mark becomes slightly jealous. Who does Donghyuk think is better looking than him? 

“Who’s the most good looking guy?” Mark asks. 

Donghyuk scoffs, “Me, obviously,” he answers. 

Mark’s jealousy vanishes. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” he agrees. 

 

“Here’s your iced Americano,” Jaemin says with a grin. 

Jeno accepts the drink with a thank you. 

Jaemin leans against the counter, which positions him slightly closer to Jeno. He intends to ask Jeno how the project works, but he gets distracted with how pretty Jeno is. 

“Jaemin?” Jeno says, bringing Jaemin back to reality. 

“Oh! Y-yes?” Jaemin stutters. He could feel a blush rise upon his cheeks. 

“Should I explain how this project works?” asks Jeno. 

Jaemin nods as he’s too embarrassed to talk. 

“Well, it’s pretty simple. I just have to watch you throughout your day and capture photos of you experiencing different emotions. You don’t even have to pay much attention to me,” Jeno explains. 

Jaemin nods, “Sounds good!” he says. 

“Let’s make our move now,” Donghyuk whispers to Mark. 

He grabs Mark’s wrist and pulls him towards where Jeno is sitting. 

“Hi! I’m Donghyuk and this is my best friend Mark,” Mark smiles at Jeno, “We’re Jaemin’s friends!” Donghyuk says. 

“Uh, hi,” Jeno mumbles. 

Jaemin notices that Jeno looks flustered, “Sorry about him. He can come off a little strong sometimes,” he apologizes. 

“Ah, it’s fine,” says Jeno. 

“Jaemin! Take the register please!” Doyoung yells from the storage room. 

Jaemin sighs, “Sorry, I have to get to work again,” he tells Jeno, “And please be nice to him,” he tells Donghyuk and Mark, but it’s directed more towards Donghyuk. 

Donghyuk ignores Jaemin and sits next to Jeno. He forces Mark to sit as well. 

“So, tell us about this project,” Donghyuk says. 

 

By the time Doyoung lets Jaemin off, the sun is setting. Jaemin worries about how Donghyuk, Mark, and Jeno are getting along. He couldn’t get a chance to check up on them because customers seemed to flood in nonstop. 

He hangs his apron up in the storage room and prepares himself for anything that Donghyuk might have done. But when he walks out the room and sees the three boys, he’s shocked. 

Mark and Jeno are laughing at Donghyuk, who seems to be telling a story. 

He walks out from behind the counter and towards the boys. They’re all laughing when he reaches them. 

“I can’t believe you got away with that!” Jeno exclaims. 

“Am I interrupting something?” Jaemin asks. 

Jeno turns to look at him. There’s a bright smile on his face. 

Jaemin melts at the sight of it. 

“Donghyuk was just telling me a story,” Jeno says. 

“Was it the one with the angry store manager?” Jaemin asks Donghyuk. 

Donghyuk nods, “My most iconic moment in life,” he jokes. 

“Ah, that story was so funny,” Jeno giggles. 

Jaemin is happy that Donghyuk and Jeno are getting along well. 

“Hey, Hyuk. We should get going. It’s pretty late,” Mark says. 

“Aw, okay. It was fun talking to you, Jeno!” Donghyuk says. 

Jaemin grabs Mark’s arm as he walks by him, “Good luck,” he whispers. 

Mark sighs shakily and nods his head. 

The two boys wave goodbye as they walk out of the shop. 

“It’s none of my business, but why’d you tell him good luck?” Jeno asks. 

“To put it simply, Mark has had a crush on Donghyuk for a while. Today, he plans to finally confess,” Jaemin explains. 

Jeno nods, “I knew something was up with them,” he says. 

“Jaemin, I’m leaving. Close up the shop whenever you feel like it,” Doyoung says. 

“Okay. Bye Doyoung!” Jaemin says. 

Jaemin and Jeno were alone. 

Jaemin suddenly remembers why Jeno showed up early. 

“How did the pictures turn out?” Jaemin asks. 

“Oh, right!” says Jeno. He grabs his camera off of the counter and turns it on. He also moves closer to Jaemin so he can see the screen. 

Their shoulders are touching. 

Jaemin’s heart is pounding. 

He mentally curses himself for getting nervous easily. 

Jeno is flipping through the pictures, but all Jaemin can think about is the feeling of Jeno’s shoulder against his. 

“Jaemin?” Jeno says. 

“Hm?” Jaemin asks. 

“I asked what you thought of the pictures.” 

“Oh! I, uh, I think they’re really good,” Jaemin stutters. 

Jeno’s face falls. 

He looks down at his lap, “I know I’m not the best photographer. You don’t have to lie,” he says, his voice low and soft. 

Jaemin is confused at first, but then he realizes what his previous statement must have sounded like to Jeno. 

“I’m not lying! I was just distracted by something,” he tries to reassure Jeno, but Jeno keeps his gaze on his lap. 

“Hey, Jeno,” Jaemin says softly. 

There’s no response. 

“Jeno?” Jaemin tries to get his attention again. 

When that doesn’t work, Jaemin puts his hand on Jeno’s shoulder. 

“Hey, I’m sorry. I thought they were amazing. You’re really talented,” Jaemin says, but he stops talking when Jeno meets his eyes. 

“A-are you telling the truth? You’re not lying?” Jeno mumbles. 

Jaemin hates how broken Jeno sounds. 

He puts his hands on Jeno’s cheeks. 

“I’m telling the truth. You’re an amazing photographer.” 

Jeno stares at Jaemin, “You really think so?” he asks. 

Jaemin stares at Jeno, “I really think so,” he says. 

Jaemin couldn’t seem to break away from Jeno’s stare. 

Jeno starts noticing small features about Jeno, like how soft his lips looked. 

When Jeno met Jaemin’s eyes again, his gaze was intense. 

Before Jeno could speak up, Jaemin was inching closer to him. 

Jeno didn’t want him to stop. 

Jaemin was moving too slow; Jeno was getting impatient.

So, Jeno closed the gap. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof the smooch finally happened


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i leave for vacation tomorrow and will be there until next sunday so i don't know if i'll be able to update while i'm there but i'll try!!

“Did something happen last night? Your face looks weird,” Doyoung comments as Jaemin ties his apron around his waist. 

“Gee, thanks. I love knowing that my face looks weird,” Jaemin says. 

Doyoung gives him the ‘you-know-what-I-mean’ look. 

Jaemin sighs, “Okay, something happened last night after you left,” he says. 

Doyoung stops his inventory check and gives all of his attention to Jaemin. He doesn’t say anything, but Jaemin knows what he’s thinking. 

“Jeno and I, uh, we kind of kissed . . .” Jaemin mumbles. 

Doyoung walks towards him, “I’m sorry? What did you just say?” he asks. 

Jaemin blushes, “You know what I said! Don’t make me say it again; it’s embarrassing!” he says. 

“Okay, but can you confirm this? Are you lying?” Doyoung asks. 

Jaemin shakes his head. 

“It really happened?” he asks once again. 

Jaemin nods. 

“What will you do when he comes in tonight?” Doyoung questions. 

“I don’t know. I’d rather not think about that right now,” Jaemin says. 

Doyoung is about to say something, but someone walks in the back door. 

“Hey, Renjun,” Doyoung says with his gaze still on Jaemin. 

“Not Renjun!” Donghyuk yells. 

Doyoung quickly turns around, “What the hell? Why did you come in the--” he gets cut off. 

“Mark and I are dating!” Donghyuk exclaims. 

“What?” Doyoung and Jaemin yell in unison. 

“Hyuk! Why did you go through the back door? I’m so sorry,” Mark says as he barges through the back door. 

All gazes in the room shift towards him, and he suddenly becomes shy. 

“D-did you tell them?” he asks. 

“Yes!” Donghyuk yells with a smile. 

Mark blushes. 

Doyoung leans against the counter, “Holy shit, so much is happening,” he sighs. 

“What? What else happened?” Donghyuk asks. 

“Is everything okay?” Mark follows. 

Doyoung looks at Jaemin. 

“You tell them. Please,” Jaemin begs. 

“No. It happened to you, so you tell them,” Doyoung says. 

“Tell us what?” Donghyuk asks. 

Jaemin refuses to make eye contact with any of them. 

“I kissed Jeno,” he says. 

Donghyuk gasps. Mark’s eyes widen. 

“You kissed Jeno? When?” Donghyuk yells. 

“Last night after Doyoung left,” Jaemin replies. 

“And? What happened after?” Mark asks. 

“We became awkward. It was really quiet and Jeno mentioned that it was late and he should get going,” Jaemin says. 

“Well--” Donghyuk begins, but Jaemin cuts him off. 

“I don’t really want to talk about it right now. Tell me about what you two came to tell us!” Jaemin says as he motions at Mark and Donghyuk. 

“Ah! Right!” Donghyuk says with a smile. 

Suddenly, the back door opens again. Renjun walks in. 

“Why are Mark and Donghyuk back here? Did I miss something?” he asks. 

“You have no idea,” Doyoung sighs. 

\---

“Then, he got all shy and I was so confused. I asked him what was wrong and he said something was on his mind. I asked him what it was and he asked me out! I was so shocked! I never knew he liked me back!” Donghyuk gushed. 

Mark looked at Donghyuk and smiled. 

“How did all of you get boyfriends before I did,” Doyoung comments. 

“Maybe because you spend all of your time here and you only seem to talk to the employees here,” Donghyuk mentions. 

Doyoung glares at him, “I talk to people outside of the shop,” he says. 

“Oh, yeah? Who?” Donghyuk asks. 

“The guy that lives in the apartment next to mine.” 

“That’s your neighbor. Obviously, you would talk to him,” Donghyuk retorts. 

Doyoung rolls his eyes and leaves to take a customer’s order. 

Jaemin sighs. 

“What’s wrong?” Renjun asks. 

“I’m just nervous about seeing Jeno tonight,” Jaemin replies. 

“Don’t overthink it,” Mark says. 

“Yeah, I think everything will be fine,” Donghyuk adds. 

Jaemin groans. 

 

“Do you want me to stay?” Doyoung asks. 

Jaemin shakes his head, “I should handle it myself,” he says. 

“Okay, call me if anything happens,” Doyoung says as he grabs his keys. 

Jaemin nods. 

He wasn’t looking forward to having to confront Jeno. He wanted everything to go smoothly, but he wasn’t sure if that would happen. 

He walks over to one of the corner tables and sits there to wait. 

His mind wanders and he thinks about the different possibilities. Jeno could confess how he feels and they could live happily ever after, or he could yell at Jaemin for suddenly kissing him out of the blue. 

Jaemin kept making up different scenarios; some were happy, while some we not. 

Time passed quickly, and soon it was almost eleven. Jeno normally showed up around 9:30. 

Jaemin started to worry even more. 

Jeno never showed up late. He was always in the shop before ten. 

Jaemin decided to call Doyoung. 

“Hello?” Doyoung answered the phone. 

“I think he’s avoiding me,” Jaemin sputtered. 

“What? Slow down.” 

“I think he’s avoiding me,” Jaemin says at a slower pace. 

“Avoiding you? I don’t think he’d do that,” says Doyoung. 

“But he hasn’t shown up yet,” Jaemin worries. 

“He probably had something to do tonight. Go home and sleep, Jaemin. It’s almost midnight,” Doyoung says. 

“But--” Jaemin begins. 

“Jaemin. Go home,” Doyoung said firmly. 

“Okay,” Jaemin mumbles. 

“Good night, Jaemin.” 

“Good night.” 

Jaemin gets barely any sleep. 

Doyoung calls Jaemin in the morning and gives him the morning off. 

“Get some extra sleep in, please,” Doyoung says. 

“Okay,” Jaemin replies. 

“I’ll call you if he shows up,” Doyoung says before ending the call. 

Jaemin sighs and flops back onto his bed. He closes his eyes and forces himself to sleep so he can go into the shop later. 

He wakes up around one. He gets dressed and starts making his way towards the shop. 

“Hey,” he greets Mark, Donghyuk, and Renjun when he walks in. He’s not used to walking through the front entrance. 

“Hey. Doyoung told us about last night. How are you feeling?” Renjun asks. 

“I’m not as tired as I was. But, I’m still worried,” Jaemin says. 

“Hey, I have some extra spaces in my portfolio that I need to fill up over the summer. Doyoung is letting me off early today. Let’s go down to the park and have a picnic! I can draw the scenery and we can help you get your mind off of Jeno!” Renjun offers. 

Jaemin ponders his answering before nodding, “That sounds good. Just get me back to the shop before nine. I want to be here if he shows up tonight.” 

Renjun looks at Mark and Donghyuk. Jaemin can’t read his face, for once. 

\---

“Mark hold my hand tightly,” Donghyuk demands. 

“Can’t you two flirt somewhere else?” Renjun jokes. 

Donghyuk fakes a laugh and grabs Mark’s hand. 

“Hyuk, wait!” Mark yells. 

But it was too late. Donghyuk was already leaning in towards the ducks. 

He slips on a wet rock and almost falls, but Mark catches him before he can. 

Jaemin and Renjun start laughing. 

“This isn’t a laughing matter! I could’ve drowned!” Donghyuk exaggerates. 

Mark giggles, “You would’ve been fine,” he says. 

Donghyuk looks at Mark with a frown, but the moment he makes eye contact with him he can’t hold back a smile. 

Renjun calms down and stands up, “Okay guys, it’s getting kind of late. Let’s go drop Jaemin off,” he says. 

Jaemin’s laughter dies out quickly. After Donghyuk slipped, he had a moment of peace. He wasn’t worrying about Jeno; he was just laughing with his friends. 

Mark clears his throat, “Yeah, come on. Let’s go,” he says. 

Renjun helps Jaemin up off the ground. 

Mark and Donghyuk decide to go home, so Jaemin and Renjun are left alone. 

During the walk back, Renjun talks to Jaemin to keep him calm. All of that calmness leaves Jaemin’s body when he sees the shop. 

“Hey, do you want me to stay? Just in case?” Renjun offers. 

Normally, Jaemin would decline, but he doesn’t know what to expect tonight. 

“Yeah, actually, that would be nice,” Jaemin tells Renjun with a small smile. 

Renjun returns the smile before leading Jaemin into the shop. 

“Hey,” Doyoung greets the boys, “Renjun will you be staying with Jaemin tonight?” he asks. 

Renjun nods. 

“Okay. Well, I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Doyoung says. 

Jaemin sits at the table in the corner of the shop again. Renjun joins him. 

“I can tell this is really affecting you,” Renjun says. 

Jaemin looks at him, but he doesn’t say anything. 

“Talk to me about it,” Renjun says. 

Jaemin breaks eye contact and looks at the table instead. 

“I’m here for you. You know that.” 

Jaemin looks at Renjun again. Renjun’s eyes are soft, and Jaemin knows Renjun cares for him. 

“I’m just scared he’ll ditch me,” Jaemin mumbles. 

“I had a feeling that’s what you’ve been thinking,” Renjun says. 

Jaemin shrugs and props his elbow up on the table. He leans against his open palm. 

“I know it’s hard for you to believe this, but people love having you around,” Renjun says, his voice soft. 

Jaemin looks down at the table again. He begins to play with a loose thread on his sleeve. 

 

“You’re caring, supportive, considerate, generous, and so much more. I know you probably don’t believe me, but Mark, Donghyuk, Doyoung, and even Jeno would agree with me. You’re a wonderful person, Jaemin. You mean so much to all of us. I hope you can come to believe that you’re worth  _ so  _ much. I love you. We love you,” says Renjun. 

Jaemin has stopped playing with the loose thread. 

Renjun gets up to sit next to Jaemin. When he’s next to him, he pulls him into a hug. 

Jaemin buries his head into Renjun’s shoulder and begins to cry. 

It’s been a long time since Jaemin last heard those words: I love you. 

 

Jeno doesn’t show up that night. 

Or the next. 

 

It’s been a week since Jaemin saw Jeno last. 

Renjun has been spending almost every second with Jaemin. He’s even slept over on the nights when he was worried about Jaemin’s well-being. 

“Why’d you let him come in today?” Doyoung asks Renjun. 

“He threatened to not give me breakfast if I didn’t,” Renjun replies. 

“What’d he make this morning?” Donghyuk asks. 

“French toast,” Renjun answers. 

“He’s making more complex things. First, he made eggs, then pancakes, and now french toast. I don’t think that’s a good thing,” Donghyuk says. 

“Me neither,” Renjun sighs. 

Doyoung told Jaemin to only prepare orders. He doesn’t want him taking them or delivering them. Jaemin likes making coffee. It provides the warm, calm feeling that working the night shifts used to provide. 

The shop wasn’t very busy today, so Jaemin wasn’t preparing many orders. He takes the time in between customers to close his eyes and appreciate the small things, like the customer’s chatter and the rich smell of brewing coffee. 

“Hey, could you do today’s inventory check?” Doyoung asks Renjun. 

Jaemin overhears this offer. 

“Renjun has been working really hard lately. I can do it,” Jaemin interrupts their conversation. 

Doyoung looks at Renjun. Renjun turns to Jaemin. 

“Are you sure?” Renjun asks, “You’d have to work the night shift,” he mentions. 

Jaemin nods, “I’ll be fine. I’ve been feeling better lately,” he says. 

Renjun eyes him before turning around to whisper to Doyoung. Jaemin can’t make out what they’re saying. 

Renjun sighs and looks at Jaemin. 

“Okay, you can work it,” he says. 

Jaemin grins, “Great! Thanks.”

 

“It’s been a while since you’ve worked late. Call me if anything happens,” Renjun tells Jaemin. 

“Got it,” Jaemin says. 

Renjun lingers at the door for a moment before walking out and leaving Jaemin alone. 

Jaemin sighs. He’s missed the night shift. 

He doesn’t expect anyone to come in, so he locks the register early. 

He makes his way towards the storage room to start the inventory check. Before he starts, he looks at the clock above the door. It read 9:15. 

“I’ll probably leave in an hour,” he says to himself. 

He was wrong. It took him almost an hour and a half to complete the check. 

Jaemin locked the door to the storage room and hung the key up by the door. 

He looks around the shop to make sure it’s ready to be closed. 

“Oh, the curtains,” he mumbles to himself. 

As he’s closing the curtains, someone barges into the shop. 

Jaemin tries to make out who the figure is, but he’s too far into the shadows. 

“Sorry, but we’re closed,” Jaemin tells the unknown person. 

The person walks into the moonlight. 

Jaemin’s heart stops. 

“Jaemin, I’ve been wanting to ask you this all week,” Jeno says. 

“What the--” Jaemin begins, but Jeno cuts him off. 

“Will you be my boyfriend?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if jeno barged into my coffee shop and asked me to be his girlfriend,,i'd say yes


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the last chapter :'( i hope it's enjoyable!!

“Will you be my boyfriend?” Jeno asks.

Jaemin stares at him.

“What the hell?” he mutters.

Jeno gets confused. He thought Jaemin would be happy.

“What the _actual_ hell? You leave without any warning for a _week_ and then you come back and ask me to be your boyfriend?” Jaemin fumes.

“I’m sorry--” Jeno starts, but Jaemin is too mad to listen to him.

“I would’ve been _so_ happy to say yes if you asked me this a week ago. But, now I don’t really know what to say.” Jaemin says.

Jeno’s face falls, “Jaemin, please--”

“Do you know how worried I was?” Jaemin walks closer, “I _cried_ over you,” he says.

Jeno slowly walks closer. His face falls with every step.

Jaemin scoffs, “I waited here _every_ night. Every night!” he yells.

“Jaemin! Listen to me!” Jeno yells.

Jaemin looks at him and clenches his jaw.

“I’m so sorry. I really am, you have no idea,” Jeno begins.

Jaemin starts to speak but Jeno won’t allow him to, “My grandmother died; I had to go back to Incheon,” Jeno begins.

Jaemin’s face softens slightly.

“I was caught up in grief; I was so close to her. One day I was talking to her on the phone and the next day I was watching my parents plan her funeral. It all happened so fast, and I didn’t expect it to happen now. I thought that the next time I would be in Incheon I would be spending time with her, not helping my mother recover from grief. I wanted to call you. I really did, but every time I would look at my recent calls and see her name it would hurt more. It made me realize that I’ll never be able to speak to her again. I’ll never be able to hear her voice again,” Jeno says.

Jaemin felt horrible.

“I-I’m sorry,” Jaemin whispers. He sits down at the nearest table. Jeno joins him.

“I was on my way to ask you, but then I got the phone call from my dad. I’m sorry for not calling you,” Jeno says.

“I should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry for yelling. I should’ve let you explain,” Jaemin apologized.

A small smile blooms on Jeno’s face. Jaemin has missed his smile.

“I would think of our park date when I felt like staying in bed all day,” Jeno averts his gaze, “I would think about coming back to ask you this question,” he says.

Jaemin puts his hand on top of Jeno’s.

“I’ll be here for you through this,” Jaemin says.

Jeno looks at Jaemin. He takes Jaemin’s hand into his.

“Thank you,” Jeno whispers.

 

_FIVE MONTHS LATER_

 

“Chenle, click the other button,” Renjun says.

“Ah, right. Thank you!” Chenle says with a smile.

Renjun was currently helping Chenle, the new employee, work the coffee maker.

Jaemin and Doyoung are watching the two boys from the storage room.

“He’ll learn,” Jaemin says as he hands Doyoung a box.  

“I hope so. I just hired him. I’d rather not fire him a few months later,” Doyoung sighs.

Jaemin chuckles.

“Hi!” Donghyuk yells as he walks into the shop with Mark.

Doyoung walks out of the storage room. Jaemin follows.

“Donghyuk, if you continuing yelling in the shop, I will ban you from it,” Doyoung threatens.

Donghyuk ignores him.

“So,” Donghyuk smiles at Jaemin, “How did your date with Jeno go last night?” he asks Jaemin.

Jaemin smiles at the thought of Jeno.

“It went well,” he replies.

“Well? That’s it? Give us more information!” Donghyuk says.

Jaemin leans against the counter, “Why should I? You never tell me about your dates with Mark,” he says as he eyes Mark.

Mark’s eyes widen, “Why am I being pulled into this?” he asks.

“You’re so hard to work with!” Donghyuk exaggerates.

Jaemin rolls his eyes right as the bell attached to the shop’s door chimes.

Jaemin at the door to see who it is. He’s hoping it’s one specific person.

And, it is.

Jaemin smiles the moment he meets Jeno’s eyes.

Jeno’s heart flutters.

When Jeno meets Jaemin at the counter, they share a quick peck.

“Good morning,” Jaemin mumbles.

“Ugh, they’re so lame,” Donghyuk whispers to Mark.

“You kissed me, like, five minutes ago,” Mark mentions.

“Look at that dumb grin. He’s totally falling for Jeno,” Renjun says Doyoung.

“I need to make a move on my neighbor,” Doyoung mutters.

Chenle looks at Jaemin and Jeno, “What did he do to get Jeno to like him?” he asks.

Doyoung and Renjun look at Chenle.

“Why?” Doyoung smirks, “Does our little Chenle have a crush?” he teases.

Chenle turns back to the coffee maker, “Yes,” he mumbles.

Doyoung nudges Chenle’s arm, “Tell us about him!” he says.

Jeno sits next to Donghyuk, but he doesn’t have a chance to say hi.

“How was the date?” Donghyuk asks Jeno as soon as he sits down.

Mark slaps Donghyuk’s arm.

“Sorry about him. He’s extra nosy today,” Mark apologizes to Jeno.

Jeno giggles, “It’s fine,” he says.

“Stop harassing my boyfriend,” Jaemin sighs.

“Why didn’t you tell them about it? Was it really that bad?” Jeno asks.

“No! I really enjoyed it!” Jaemin quickly reassures Jeno, “I just didn’t want to fuel Donghyuk’s nosiness,” he mutters.

Donghyuk frowns.

 

“Bye, guys,” Doyoung says as he grabs his keys.

Jaemin and Jeno both wave goodbye.

“So, how’s the new employee?” Jeno asks from one of the booths.

Jaemin unties his apron, “He’s getting the hang of it fairly quickly,” he says.

Jeno grins, “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Hm,” Jaemin walks out from behind the counter, “I think it’s a good thing,” he says.

He enjoys Jeno’s company.

He makes his way towards Jeno after closing the shop’s curtains.

“I have so many positive memories that are attached to this shop,” Jaemin mumbles.

“Oh yeah? What are your favorites?” Jeno asks.

Jaemin sits next to Jeno and leans his head on his shoulder.

He ponders for a moment before deciding on an answer.

“About two weeks after I first started working here, this guy started showing up every night,” Jaemin says.

Jeno grins, “Oh? Who is ‘this guy?’”

“Well, he has really pretty eyes. Honestly, his whole face is pretty. But, he also has a really nice personality; he’s caring and funny,” Jaemin says.

“Wow, he seems like an awesome guy,” Jeno jokes.

“He’s the best. He makes me happy,” Jaemin boasts.

“Is that really your favorite memory?” Jeno asks.

Jaemin looks up at him and nods.

“And that last part was true; you really do make me happy,” Jaemin says.

A small blush forms on Jeno’s cheeks.

Jaemin grins, “You’re cute when you blush,” he flirts.

Jeno’s face heats up even more, “Shut up,” he mumbles.

Jaemin chuckles and leans in for a kiss.

\---

Jaemin has always enjoyed closing up the coffee shop after finishing his late shifts. It brings him a warm, calm feeling.

He enjoys sweeping the floors as he listens to the rhythmic chirps of the cicadas outside. He also enjoys wiping down the counters and tabletops as he listens to the cars drive through the peaceful night. Sometimes, he’ll lean on the counter, close his eyes, and take in all of the sounds that the night brings.

There’s one aspect of closing the shop that doesn’t bring him that warm, calm feeling. Instead, it makes his heart flutter. This aspect is the boy that owns Jaemin’s heart. He enjoys cuddling in the booths with him, and kissing him in the moonlight.

Jaemin has always enjoyed closing up the coffee shop after finishing his late shifts.

And, he met the love of his life by doing so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aah the end has arrived...i hope this fic was enjoyable to those who read it!! i also lowkey want to write a small thing about how mark asked hyuck out...


End file.
